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Former New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns linebacker Willie McGinest apologized for the incident in a West Hollywood, California, lounge that led to his arrest.

He posted the following message in an Instagram post:

"First and foremost, I want to offer my deepest apology for my lapse in judgment and behavior on December 9 at a restaurant in West Hollywood. To my family, community, friends, and youth I mentor, please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility.

"To my colleagues at the NFL Network and those I work closely with as an advisor to professional and community-based organizations, please know I am embarrassed and regret what occurred.

"Most of all, I am disappointed in myself, as I know this is an isolated incident and is not reflective of my faith, role as a father, life's body of work, or the role model I've worked hard to become. It is personally devastating that decades of community service, youth engagement, mentoring, and professional development would become an afterthought in a single moment that should have never happened.

"This incident has prompted me to deep self-reflection—mind, soul, and spirit. I know that violence is never the answer to such situations, no matter how intense the provocation. Rest assured, I will take whatever steps necessary to restore the public trust, mend damaged relationships, and ensure this never happens again."

Notably, McGinest's former teammate Tom Brady was among those who commented on the apology, leaving a red heart emoji.

TMZ Sports shared a video of the incident on Monday in which McGinest approached another man and exchanged words with him before striking him in the face. Others also got involved in the altercation, and McGinest can be seen hitting the man on the head with a bottle as well.

He was arrested on Monday on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and released on $30,000 bond.

While he is best known for his time as a linebacker, McGinest currently works in the media as an analyst for NFL Network. However, the network has removed him from the air following his arrest.

"We are aware of the incident and the video, which is disturbing," an NFL Network spokesperson told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "Willie McGinest will not appear on NFL Network while we review the matter."

McGinest played in the NFL from 1994 through 2008 for the Patriots and Browns. He won three Super Bowls during his 12 seasons with New England.

Rather than test free agency this offseason, Jack Conklin has agreed to a new contract with the Cleveland Browns.

Conklin's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Adam Schefter his client will receive a four-year, $60 million extension with $31 million fully guaranteed from the Browns.

Conklin began his career with the Tennessee Titans after being drafted No. 8 overall in 2016. The Michigan State alum made an instant impact as a rookie when he made 16 starts and earned a spot on the All-Pro First Team.

After injuries limited Conklin to nine games in 2018, the Titans declined to exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. He played all 16 games in 2019 and was able to cash in as a free agent.

Conklin signed with the Browns in 2020. His contract was for three years, $42 million ($30 million guaranteed) and included two void years to spread out the cap hits.

Adding Conklin to the offensive line turned out to be an excellent move for Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry. He made the All-Pro First Team at right tackle in 2020.

An torn patellar tendon limited Conklin to seven games last season, but he's bounced back in 2022. The 28-year-old ranks fourth among offensive tackles in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking efficiency metric entering Week 16.

The Browns held Conklin out for their first two games this season as he recovered from surgery to repair the patellar tendon. He has started all 12 games since making his season debut in Week 3.

The extension is fairly team-friendly for the Browns. The $60 million in total value and $31 million fully guaranteed ranks sixth among right tackles.

Cleveland is still alive in the AFC playoff race with a 6-8 record, but it needs to win each of its final three games and get a lot of help from other teams still vying for postseason positioning.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman offered a solution that would have saved Mac Jones the humiliation of being on the receiving end of Chandler Jones' stiff arm on the final play of Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Appearing on Inside the NFL (h/t Dakota Randall of NESN.com), Edelman said Jones should have tripped Jones to prevent him from scoring.

Even though Jones became the butt of most jokes after the play, the end result wasn't his fault. Rhamondre Stevenson took a handoff with three seconds left in regulation and the score tied at 24, he gained 23 yards before lateraling the ball to Jakobi Meyers.

Meyers decided he wanted to keep the play going, and threw a lateral that was supposed to be for Jones even though he was nowhere in the frame on the television feed until Chandler Jones grabbed the ball.

Edelman's theory sounds good on paper, but tripping is a 15-yard penalty that would have given the Raiders a chance to kick a 47-yard field goal on an untimed down.

If there was an attempt to prevent Jones from scoring by blatantly tripping him, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also noted there is a rule that allows officials to award a touchdown "to a team that has been denied one by a palpably unfair act."

Stevenson took responsibility for the play by saying he shouldn't have lateraled the ball in the first place. Meyers admitted he was "trying to do too much and trying to be a hero" when he attempted to throw the ball back to Mac Jones.

Even though the game will be remembered for that all-time blunder at the end, Mac Jones didn't do himself any favors with how he played. The second-year quarterback finished 13-of-31 for 112 yards against a Raiders defense that allows the fourth-highest completion percentage and seventh-most passing yards per game.

It hasn't been surprising to see the Los Angeles Lakers consistently getting linked to new players in trade rumors during the 2022-23 NBA season. With the team underperforming again, at least one move seems likely to happen.

However, nobody knows exactly what type of deal the Lakers will make. There have been quite a few players who Los Angeles has had reported interest in recently, and any of them could eventually end up wearing purple and gold.

One player who we just learned the Lakers may want to target is Orlando Magic guard Terrence Ross.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Ross has "long garnered interest" from Los Angeles. However, the Lakers haven't been alone, as the New York Knicks had also been pursuing the 31-year-old wing player in recent seasons, per Fischer.

None of this necessarily means Ross will end up getting traded anytime soon, though. Especially because teams may not be willing to meet the Magic's asking price.

"While Orlando has rebuffed offers below a first-round pick for the veteran swingman in recent seasons, sources said, it's difficult to foresee a playoff contender sacrificing more than a single second-round selection for Ross' services," Fischer wrote.

Will that be enough for the Magic to part with Ross this time? That remains to be seen. But it's possible the 11-year NBA veteran's stock is a bit lower than it's been in some recent seasons.

Ross is averaging only 8.1 points in 30 games during the 2022-23 campaign. That would end up as his lowest scoring output since he averaged 6.4 points in 73 games as a rookie with the Toronto Raptors in the 2012-13 season.

However, Ross is still shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three-point range. He just isn't getting off as many attempts as he has for much of his career.

So there's a good chance that a change of scenery could result in Ross returning to form a bit. And what better place to go than Los Angeles, where he could play alongside LeBron James and try to help the Lakers get back into playoff contention?

Los Angeles is 13-18 after its loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, which was its sixth defeat in its past nine games. It's still only two games out of a spot for the play-in tournament, though, and there's plenty of time for the team to get hot and turn its season around.

A deal or two before the Feb. 9 trade deadline should help the Lakers have a better chance of doing that. While Ross alone couldn't give Los Angeles enough of a boost to be a playoff team, he could be a solid contributor.

The Lakers need wing players who are efficient shooters, and Ross can fit that bill. If he plays up to his full potential, he could even become a key member of Los Angeles' rotation.

So it would be wise for the Lakers to try to acquire Ross, assuming the Magic's asking price isn't too high. Los Angeles owns only two first-round draft picks for the rest of the decade, and it shouldn't part with either of those in a trade for Ross.

But if the Lakers can get him for a second-round pick and/or a player, they'd improve by having him available to come off their bench (or possibly even take a spot in the starting lineup).

The Green Bay Packers reportedly made a major move as they continue a potential late-season playoff push.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the NFC North team and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins agreed to a four-year contract extension. The deal is worth $68 million in base value and could increase to as much as $74 million.

It makes him the second-highest paid guard in the league.

Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson is the only other player at the position paid more than Jenkins following this move.

Green Bay selected Jenkins out of Mississippi State with a second-round pick in 2019. He didn't miss a game in his first two years and was a Pro Bowler in his second season.

However, he was limited to just eight games in 2021 because he suffered a torn ACL in November. To his credit, he underwent a quick recovery and has appeared in 12 of the Packers' 14 games so far this season.

Jenkins, who is theoretically in the middle of his prime at 26 years old, has an impressive Pro Football Focus grade of 74.4 and was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

He is one reason the team is not out of the playoff race despite a 4-8 start to the season. They have won two straight games to improve to 6-8 and remain within striking distance of the 7-6-1 Washington Commanders for the final NFC wild-card spot.

They likely have to win out considering they are also behind the 7-7 Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, but they are playing much better football of late. Still, games against the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Lions to finish the season will be more difficult than the two straight wins over the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams.

Chicago and Los Angeles are a combined 7-21.

After losing Carlos Correa earlier this week, the San Francisco Giants are hoping Michael Conforto can provide a spark for their lineup.

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Conforto has agreed to a two-year, $36 million deal with the Giants.

ESPN's Buster Olney added the deal includes an opt-out after the 2023 season.

Conforto profiled as a solid bounce-back candidate in 2022 before he underwent offseason shoulder surgery. His agent, Scott Boras, indicated in May he might sign with a team following July's MLB draft, which would remove any draft-pick compensation from his deal.

Nobody chose to take Boras up on the opportunity.

Even before the shoulder injury, Conforto saw his value take a big hit. The 29-year-old picked a bad time to have one of the worst years of his career.

Unlike new teammate Francisco Lindor, who signed a 10-year, $341 million deal, Conforto headed into Opening Day in 2021 without a new contract. New York Mets team president Sandy Alderson signaled the franchise's desire to keep the 2017 All-Star that March.

"We've had Conforto for many years," Alderson said, per the New York Post's Ken Davidoff. "He has not only become an excellent player, but also part of the leadership group within the clubhouse. He's represented the Mets for a long period of time and represented us well. I think if it's possible, we will make the effort to keep Michael with us."

He added the Mets weren't as aggressive as the Toronto Blue Jays in landing George Springer, who signed with Toronto for six years and $150 million, because a new deal for Conforto was part of the calculus.

MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported in April 2021 that Conforto might look to sign for $200 million or more, eclipsing the total Springer received.

His performance ultimately didn't help his bargaining position with the Mets or any other team interested in his services.

In 125 games, Conforto had 14 home runs, 55 RBI and a .232/.344/.384 slash line. According to FanGraphs, his .322 weighted on-base average was 30 points lower than his career average (.352).

The Mets offense as a whole was a bit of mess and failed to live up to expectations. Hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater were both fired in the middle of the season.

Lindor saw his batting average slip all the way to .230. Dominic Smith slugged .525 and .616 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, before finishing with a .363 slugging percentage in 2021. Jeff McNeil saw his on-base percentage fall from .383 to .317. In short, Conforto wasn't the only one who struggled at the plate.

Prior to 2021, he was a consistent producer in New York's lineup, so that year may be a bit of an outlier. Per Baseball Savant, his .249 expected batting average was only fractionally worse than his career number (.251), while his expected slugging (.428) was a more pronounced drop from the .463 he has posted since 2015.

The shoulder injury is obviously a massive variable. He might have a clean bill of health now, but nobody can know for sure whether he'll rebound. He may never be the same player after the surgery.

As a short-term gamble, signing Conforto is a worthwhile risk for San Francisco because he was so good from 2017-20. His demand for $200 million looks laughable in retrospect, but his market value before the 2021 season arguably wasn't much below that.

The possible upside justifies the Giants' investment.

As much as this move could help San Francisco, there's no salvaging what has been a disastrous offseason for the franchise.

Carlos Rodón, the ace of the staff, signed with the New York Yankees. That came after Aaron Judged opted to re-sign with the Bronx Bombers having entertained overtures from the Giants. The final insult came as Correa left San Francisco at the altar and signed with the New York Mets instead.

Conforto could make a major difference for a team in need of outfield help, but it already feels like the 2023 season is a lost cause for the Giants.